Juan Agudelo signs pre-contract with Stoke City

“Juan is a talented player and he has put himself into a position to have options abroad at the end of his MLS contract this December. We always knew there was a possibility he would choose to explore these opportunities when we traded for him earlier this year, and we’re happy for Juan that he has earned this opportunity at Stoke. We’re looking forward to his return to the field with us for the remainder of the season as soon as he is back and fit from his recent injury.”

Press release via Stoke City:

STOKE CITY are delighted to confirm that United States international Juan Agudelo has today signed a pre-contract agreement with the Club.

The 20 year old striker will join the Potters on January 1, 2014 once his contract with New England Revolution has expired.

He will become the latest US international to move to the Britannia Stadium, following in the footsteps of his compatriots Geoff Cameron, Maurice Edu and Brek Shea.

Manager Mark Hughes said: “We’ve put a lot of work into this deal, and I am delighted that we have managed to get the deal over the line.

“It’s a good deal for us, because he is a very good young player who boasts a lot of talent as well as a lot of potential too.

“I’ve known of him for a couple of years now. He burst on to the scene for the United States at the age of 17 and everybody has paid attention to him since.

“I have kept my eye on him for the last 18 months, and thankfully we were in a position where we were able to pull this deal off.”

Chief Executive Tony Scholes believes the Club’s capture of Agudelo underlines the growing stature of Major League Soccer in the US.

He said: “We’ve played against five MLS teams in the last two years and have been consistently impressed with the quality we’ve come up against.

“We’ve already taken two players directly from the MLS in Geoff and Brek. Geoff readily adapted to life in the Premier League by making 35 league appearances for us in his first season at the Britannia Stadium.

“Brek and Maurice will be looking to do likewise this season and we’re confident that Juan will be able to follow suit.”